From the Land of the Rajas: Creativity in Rajasthan

From the Land of the Rajas:

Creativity in Rajasthan

The Dark One: Images of Krishna

Krishna is the eighth and most famous incarnation (avatara) of the Hindu god Vishnu. Although born to a royal family, Krishna was brought up by the cowherds and shepherds of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. He is famous for his childish pranks, one of which was raiding the dairies of the milkmaids (gopis) in a search for butter and curds. One of the most popular representations of Krishna illustrates his amorous exploits with the milkmaids; his favorite was Radha, wife of Ayana. He later became a king, had 16,108 wives (his favorites were the princesses Rukmini and Satyabhama), and assisted the Pandava brothers in the great battle described in the Indian epic, the Mahabharata.

Literally “the dark one” or “dark blue or black,” Krishna is dark because he was conceived from a black hair of Vishnu, and born at midnight in the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September), during the monsoon. In paintings and sculpture Krishna is often depicted with blue skin and playing a flute. Krishna, one of the most popular gods of Hindu devotion, is the subject of special worship in the southern Rajasthani town of Nathadwara.

Krishna as Shri Nathji, shrine for Diwali
Photo by Deepa Natarajan, Udaipur, 2005

Puppets

Henna prints

Religious Paintings